Following their Lark/Sleep EP released last year, London based Japanese duo Tomoki & Nono return to Satoshi Tomiie’s SAW imprint with their Tribute EP, a sax-infused three-tracker including a tasty remix by UK DJ/producer Luke Solomon.
Built around crisp and solid house beats, the original mix of Tribute features the smooth infiltration of catchy sax riffs that raise the energy up gradually. The rolling groove then fluidly dissolves into the breakdown in the midsection, where the sax couples with the soft and floaty pads, rendering a dreamy and organic vibe that is arguably the best part of the track.
Luke Solomon then switches the focus from sax to melodious synths in his remix, in which he constructs another form of dreamy soundscape by blending blissful synth leads and psychedelic pads together on top of techy beats. The intricate interlacement of the melodies is particularly deft and delicious.
Compared with the original mix, the Deep Mix by the Japanese duo takes a darker direction, as the techy rhythm and chimes deliver a deep and slightly hypnotic groove, whilst the organic sax gives some tenderness to this tech house affair.
Another solid release by Tomoki & Nono, this EP should enable them to further establish themselves in the global house and techno scene.